The present invention is directed toward a new card game which, in some aspects, is similar to the game of Pai Gow Poker and, in other aspects is similar to the game of Baccarat. The invention relates to a new deck of cards and to a new method of play utilizing the novel cards, the intent of which is to make the game more interesting and to increase revenues for casinos.
Although the game of Pai Gow Poker, frequently referred to as Asian Poker, has been around for many years, it has only recently gained wide spread acceptance in gambling casinos throughout the United States. As is well known in the art, the game is played with either tiles or with a standard deck of 52 playing cards. In some versions of the game, a joker is also utilized although the same normally can be used to represent only a limited number of cards such as an ace or as part of a straight or flush. Rankings in Pai Gow Poker are substantially the same as rankings in other types of poker games.
Pai Gow Poker is typically played in a casino at a table much like that utilized for Blackjack or Baccarat or the like. That is, there is a dealer position and six player positions equally spaced around the perimeter of the table. At each player position, there are normally markings or indicia for the dealer""s high and low hands and a spot for each player to place his or her ante or bet.
The game is typically started by each player placing a bet. The dealer then deals seven cards to himself and to each of the six player positions. Each player, including the dealer, then forms two hands from his holding of seven cards. One hand, referred to as the low hand, consists of two of the dealt cards. The other hand, referred to as the high hand, consists of the remaining five cards that were dealt to that player.
The only requirement in forming the high and low hands is that the low hand must be of a lower rank than the high hand. In conventional Pai Gow, the ranking of the hands is similar to traditional poker with the exception as pointed out above that the joker can be used to represent an ace or to represent any one card of either a straight or a flush. Thus, the highest possible hand is five aces.
If the player""s low hand and high hand are higher in rank than the low and high hand of the dealer or banker, the player is a winner arid the banker loses. However, if the dealer or banker""s hands are higher than,the player""s, the player is a loser and the banker wins. The banker""s hand is normally considered to be the winner in the event of a tie.
If the player""s low hand is of a higher rank than the banker""s low hand but the player""s high hand is of a lower rank than the banker""s high hand, neither wins and there is considered to be a push. Similarly, a push exists when a player""s low hand is of a lower rank than the banker""s low hand and the player""s high hand is of a higher rank of the banker""s high hand. There is, therefore, no winner when a push exists.
Although the conventional game of Pai Gow can be exciting, it can be difficult to learn. And even those familiar with the game can become bored with the same as it can become routine. The game, therefore, is not normally a big money maker for casinos.
Baccarat is another popular table game played in casinos or gaming establishments. Baccarat also uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards and is usually dealt from a shoe having multiple decks that have been shuffled together prior to the beginning of play.
The object of the game of Baccarat is for the bettor to successfully wager on whether the bank""s hand or the player""s hand is going to win. The bettor receives even money for his wager if he selects the winning hand and loses his wager if he selects the losing hand. In a conventional Baccarat game, each bettor first makes a wager on whether the bank""s hand or the player""s hand will win. After all wagers are made, two cards are dealt from the shoe to the bank position and two cards are dealt from the shoe to the player position on the table layout. The cards are turned face up and the value of the bank hand the player hand is determined, modulo ten. In determining values, aces count as one; kings, queens, jacks and tens count as zero and the other cards count as their respective face value. The suits have no meaning in Baccarat.
The highest hand value in Baccarat is nine. All hand values range from a low of zero to a high of nine. If when the cards are added together, the total of the hand exceeds nine, then the hand value is determined modulo ten. For example, a seven and an eight total fifteen, but the hand value is five. An ace and a nine total ten, but the hand value is zero. Under certain situations in the play of the game, a third card will be dealt. The value of this third card is added to the total of the first two cards and a new hand value is established. Again, if the new hand total exceeds nine, the hand value is determined by subtracting ten from the total of the hand.
While Baccarat is relatively easy to play because of the relative ease in determining the rankings of the hands, it also can become monotonous as there are essentially no decisions to be made by the player. The cards are automatically dealt to each player according to the rules and the winner is determined automatically according to the established rules. The player essentially watches.
There is, therefore, a need for a casino card game that combines the intricacies and mental challenge of Pai Gow with the easy of baccarat. Such a game would encourage the players to play and to play longer which would obviously result in increased revenues for the casino or other gaming establishment.
The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art described above. The invention utilizes a deck of 45 cards which may resemble a standard deck of playing cards. The deck includes 15 sets of three similar cards ranging from two through ace including jacks, queens and kings. In addition, the deck includes three jokers and three cards referred to as dot cards. The numbered cards have a value equal to the number thereon while the picture cards have a value of zero. Jokers may have a value of zero or one. The three dot cards have a value of three, six or nine depending on the number of dots on the card. The game is played by dealing six cards to each of six players or player spots and six cards to the dealer. Each player, including the dealer, then separates his cards into a high hand and a low hand in accordance with a predetermined hierarchy or ranking of the hands. In order to win, each of the player""s high and low hands must beat the dealer""s high and low hands.